Yes Meredith
by kaytimichelle
Summary: Meredith's a senior in high school and she wants to take her senior trip. Where does she end up, and who with?
1. Alone In So Many Places

**Has absolutely nothing to do with the actual plotline of the show. It's set when Meredith is a senior in high school.**

**Hope you like!**

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"Yes Meredith, what do you want? I'm busy," Ellis asked her daughter as she entered her mother's study."

"Um… it's almost the end of my senior year."

"Yes Meredith, I know that."

"Well… most of my friends are taking a senior trip and I was wondering if I could you know… take one too?"

"Yes Meredith."

"Yes I can go?"

"Yes Meredith."

"Uh… thank you."

"Shut the door."

Meredith shut the door and went into her bedroom. That was the longest conversation she'd had with her mother in the past month and a half. She wanted her mother to answer her with something other than 'Yes Meredith." She wanted her mother to say no to something, just so she could scream and slam her door. But instead she sat on her bed, quietly flipping through a magazine, once again getting her way just so her mother wouldn't have to deal with her.

Not more than 20 minutes later, Meredith heard her mother's unmistakable voice calling her to the study.

"Yeah?"

"I've booked you a ticket to New York that leaves the 26th of June at 9:00pm."

"New York?"

"I don't have time for this Meredith."

"You decided I was going to New York? Without asking me?"

"Yes Meredith."

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Meredith looked anxiously out into the crowd as she walked up to the podium. Her fingers toyed with the tassel at the end of her valedictorian stole nervously. Her mother wasn't there. She knew that. But she had to look didn't she? Had to look to see if maybe, just maybe, her mother had remembered it was her graduation day. That she was valedictorian. Ellis had been valedictorian at the same high school over 40 years ago. Her mother had stood on the same stage as she stood now, making her speech, her parents watching proudly in the crowd. But Meredith stood there at the podium alone, a dead silence settling over the room. No one was there to cheer her on, or smile at her from the crowd. She cleared her throat, and started to speak, her voice echoing through the packed auditorium.

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He fell into the first class seat next to her with a loud sigh.

"Was that supposed to wake me up?" Meredith said, opening her eyes and peering at the person who had sat down next to her.

"Not really. But what are you doing asleep already? We haven't even taken off yet."

She rolled her eyes slightly. "If you have to know, I'm terrified of flying."

"Really? You're scared of the most ingenious thing since sliced bread?"

"Yes. Now if you don't mind—"

He stuck out his hand to be shaken, so she did.

"Meredith Grey," she introduced herself.

"Very nice to meet you Meredith Grey."

"And might I inquire the name of the person who so rudely woke me up?"

"You might. I'm Derek. Derek Shepherd."

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	2. Thoughts Of A Terrified Teen

**Okay, so… Meredith and Derek are only about a year and a half or so apart in this story. Maybe even two years. I didn't want to be like, weird. So yeah. He's in his first year or second year (it doesn't really matter) at college and she just graduated. Oh and I'm totally clueless on medical terms, and craniotomy popped in my head. No idea what the hell it is though...**

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"_And might I inquire the name of the person who so rudely woke me up?"_

"_You might. I'm Derek. Derek Shepherd."_

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"So, Derek… Why are you going to New York?" Meredith asked, surreptitiously trying to fix her hair and clothes.

"Oh, I live there. I was in Seattle on a college trip. We went to go see Ellis Grey perform a craniotomy. See, Ellis Grey is the world's best surgeon," he explained, "and I'm studying to become a surgeon also, so a few of us from school came out to see this operation. It's only been done twice before, so you can imagine how excited we were. We even got to meet Ellis Grey after the surgery."

She smiled. _'He's not that bright is he? Can't even put two and two together. Meredith Grey. Ellis Grey.'_

"Why are you smiling?" _'Do I tell him?'_

'_No. He'll only use me to get to my mother.' _"No reason. So… you want to be a surgeon! That's great. I'm going to Dartmouth for the same thing."

"No kidding? So you must've heard about Ellis before." _'Oh no, I've never heard of her… I LIVE WITH HER!'_

"Um… yeah. I've heard of her."

"How come your school didn't come out and see the operation?" _'Can't he shut up about my mother?'_

"What? Oh! No, I don't go there now. I start in the fall." _'Duh. Like I actually look like I'm a college student.'_

"You're still in high school?"

"Technically no. I graduated today." _'Okay Meredith. This is what your mother calls TOO MUCH INFORMATION! Just shut up and go to sleep.'_

"Congratulations! What are you doing going to New York alone on your graduation day? Shouldn't you be spending time with your family?" _'I should be… too bad my mother didn't even remember today was my graduation day.'_

"My father's dead." _'Way to be blunt Meredith…'_

"Oh I'm so sorry." _'Why can't people ever say anything more creative than 'I'm sorry'?'_

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do it." _'Cancer did it. But he doesn't need to know that. He does not need to know that. He does not need to know that. He does not—'_

"Cancer did it," she blurted out. _'What the hell was that? Why did I say that?'_

"My mother had cancer," he replied, resting his hand on Meredith's shoulder. _'Is his hand really on my shoulder? Do I move it? Will he move it?'_

"I'm sorry," she said and he took his hand of her shoulder. _'Thank God.'_

"Why are you sorry?" _'I already said that to you!'_

"You said had," she said as though it were obvious. _'Is that appropriate? Will he get mad?'_

"Oh my mother's not dead." _'Oh my God! This is so embarrassing. What do I say? What do I say? What do I say? What do I say?'_

Before she could say anything, the plane lurched forward and started down the runway. _'Oh God. Why did my mother get me a window seat? She knows I hate flying. Doesn't she? Oh my God, I'm going to throw up. I cannot throw up. He will never ever like me if I throw up. Did I just think that? Do I like him?'_

She involuntarily grabbed his hand in fright as the plane lifted off of the ground. _'Oh my God. Did I just grab his hand? Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My. GOD! I'm okay with this. I am SO okay with this. He can comfort me. Right? Oh my God, what if he thinks I'm just some desperate high school girl? Okay close your eyes and breathe. Breathe Meredith. In. Out. In…'_

"Hey are you okay?" he asked her, still holding onto her hand.

"Mm hmm!" she said shrilly.

"You weren't lying when you said you were terrified of flying."_ 'No, I just said that to get attention! Of course I wasn't lying!'_ "Want me to tell you when we're all the way up?"

She nodded, gripping the arm rest with her other hand.

"I'm going to die." _'Did I just say that out loud? Did he hear me? I think he heard me.'_

"You're not going to die." _'Yeah. He heard me.'_ "I promise you won't die."

"You can't promise something like that!" she asked him, opening her eyes.

"Yes I can. I'll even make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"If we don't crash, and you don't die, you can stay with me in New York." _'WHAT! WHAT! OH MY GOD! Did he just say that!'_ "I'll show you around New York, give you the time of your life, _and_ I'll even make sure you get home safely."

"I think I'll have to make an extra effort not to die then." _'WHAT! WHAT! OH MY GOD! DID I JUST SAY THAT!'_

He peered over her and out the window. "We're all the way up." _'Up? Up where? Oh yeah. I'm in an airplane. I'm flying.'_

"Oh. I totally forgot about that."

He grinned. _'Wow. That's an amazing smile.'_

"So, Meredith Grey. Still want to go to sleep?"

"Not a chance in hell."


End file.
